The present invention relates to a pin-shaped device for releasing a flowable medium from a supply container with a brush-like application element. More particularly, it relates to such a device in which the application element is displaceable through a closable opening of a front of the device by means of a piston rod acting against a spring force and communicating with a dosing piston in a chamber provided at the end side of the supply container.
The application element in form of a brush or another conventional fiber writing tip must be supplied during each actuation of the device with a predetermined quantity of a flowable medium. It must be guaranteed that the flowable medium cannot be dried in the supply chamber and in the dosing chamber. Fast drying with the removed closing cap in the supply opening into which the application element is withdrawn must be prevented.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,676 discloses a pin-shaped device for applying liquids by means of a brush. The liquid is supplied from a supply chamber via a dosing chamber or the like to the brush. Since in this device no actuating element is provided, the brush is moved from the dosing chamber only with the tip facing upwardly, under the action of the force of gravity. In this position the dosing chamber is not closed, so that during the operation or when the device is left open with projecting brush, drying in the dosing chamber can take place.
For applying flowable cosmetics substances, a further device is disclosed in the Japanese document number CHO 60-8803. FIGS. 2 and 3 of this document show a pin-shaped device in which the application element is connected with a throughgoing piston rod. The piston rod can be axially displaceable at the rear end of the pin by rotation. The application pin contains also a supply chamber and a dosing chamber. During the forward movement of the piston rod a throughopening from the supply chamber to the dosing chamber is released for filling the dosing chamber with liquid. Moreover, during the forward movement of the piston rod a dosing piston or the like is actuated, which supplies a suction pad or a sponge arranged in the supply opening with the liquid. From this sponge the liquid is transferred to the application element. This device has the disadvantage that in the inoperative position the dosing chamber is not closed from air entrance. There is, therefore, the danger that the liquid can be dried in the dosing chamber.